Finger, hand and wrist developer



United States Patent O 3,227,446 FINGER, HAND AND WRIST DEVELOPER .lohnA. Minasola, 4723 S. Division Ave., Wyoming, Mich. Filed May 7, 1962,Ser. No. 192,745 2 Claims. (Cl. 272--67) This invention provides anexercising device for the development of the fingers, hands, wrists, andarms. Exercises with this device may be performed for the purpose ofincreasing the strength, or for improving the coordination and generalcondition of these members. It is the objective of this invention toprovide a structure having superior arrangements for positioning thefingers of the hand, while preserving compactness, portability, andeconomy.

The structural details of the preferred form of the invention will beanalyzed through a discussion of the particular embodiment illustratedin the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the device.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation in projection with FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional side elevation taken on the plane 3 3 of FIGUREl.

FIGURE 4 is a section taken on the plane 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a section taken on the plane 5-5 of FIGURE 1.

The housing has a base 11 provided with a group of guide holes 12. Thebrackets 13 and 14 are secured to the posts 15 and 16 of the housing byscrews as shown at 117-20 to form a unitary structure. The brackets 13and 14 are notched as shown at 21 in FIGURE 2 to provide opposite groupsof vertically-spaced notches for receiving the bar 22 in selectedvertical positions. The cut-out areas 23 and 24 and the posts 15 and 16provide clearance for this adjustability.

A group of pairs of washers 25-29 are secured to the bar 22 to locatethe top ends of the springs Sti-34 as shown, and the lower ends of thesesprings are pivotally connected to the connector links 35-39. Theselinks are rectangular in cross-section, and are slidably received in thesimilarly-shaped holes in the bar 40, and also in the slots in the guide41 arranged opposite to the holes in the bar 4t). The bar 4d and theguide 41 are secured together by screws as shown, and are received inrecessed portions in the posts 15 and 16 as best shown in FIG- URE l.

The lower extremities of the links 35-39 are pivotally connected to thefinger receptacles L12-46, which are shaped as a rectangular frame toprovide opposite parallel walls defining passages for receiving andisolating the fingers of the user. The alignment of the lower end of thefinger receptacles is maintained by the guide projections 47-51 slidablyengaging the holes 12. These projections are secured to the receptaclesby screws as shown at 47a in FIGURE 3. The result of this arrangement isto establish a guided path of parallel movement of the receptacles42-46, with the springs 30-34 biasing the receptacles upwardly untilmovement is either controlled by the operators fingers, or arrested bythe pads 52-56 surrounding the links 35-39. The degree of tension of thesprings is controlled by shifting the bar 22 in the notches 21. Shockabsorbers as shown at 57 are mounted on the projections 47-51 to cushionthe downward movement. A panel 58 is preferably mounted on the back ofthe housing 10 as viewed in FIGURE 1, to protect the mechanism, and across member 59 interconnects the tops of the posts 1S and 16. It isalso preferable to incorporate pads as shown at 60 on the tops of thescrews 47a to give desired surface characteristics for re- ICC ceivingthe thumb and four fingers of a hand of the user.

In normal operation, the placement of the bar 22 is selected to createthe desired degree of tension, and fingers and thumb are inserted in thereceptacles 42-46. Downward pressure is then applied to the limit ofvertical movement permitted by the device, with the number ofrepetitions being selected according to good judgement. The position ofthe bar 22 may be reset for the exercise of each linger, with the amountof tension being determined to provide the best effect withoutover-strain.

The particular embodiments of the present invention which have beenillustrated and discussed herein are for illustrative purposes only andare not to be considered as a limitation upon the scope of the appendedclaims. In these claims, it is my intent to claim the entire inventiondisclosed herein, except as I am limited by the prior art.

Having thus completely and fully described the invention, what is nowclaimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. An exercising device, comprising:

a housing having a series of parallel guide holes in the lower portiontheijeof, and having opopsite groups of verticallyspaced notches;

a bar normally i'ixed with respect to said housing and having a seriesof spaced rectangular holes;

a series of connecting links of rectangular cross-section slidably andnon-rotatively received in said rectangular holes, respectively;

a series of finger receptacles secured respectively to the lower ends ofsaid links, said receptacles each forming a substantially rectangularframe;

a guide secured to the lower portion of each of said receptacles andslidably engaging said guide holes, respectively;

a series of coil tension springs connected respectively to the upperends of each of said links;

a bar received in said housing in said notches and engaging the upperends of said springs; and

resilient stop means limiting the upward and downward movement of saidreceptacles.

2. An exercising device, comprising:

a housing having a series of parallel guide holes in the lower portionthereof, and having opposite groups of vertically-spaced notches;

a bar normally fixed with respect to said housing, and

having a series of spaced rectangular holes;

a series of connecting links of rectangular cross-section slidably andnon-rotatively received in said rectangular holes, respectively;

a series of finger receptacles secured respectively to the lower ends ofsaid links, said receptacles each forming a substantially rectangularframe;

a guide secured to the lower portion of each of said receptacles andslidably engaging said guide holes, respectively;

a series of coil tension springs connected respectively to the upperends of each of said links; and

a bar received in said housing in said notches and engaging the upperends of said springs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 638,632 12/1899Grifi'in 272-67 646,998 4/1900 Joubert 84-467 689,652 12/1901 Perry272-68 1,796,216 3/1931 Pettersson 272-68 3,029,076 4/ 1962 Andersen272-67 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

2. AN EXERCISING DEVICE, COMPRISING: A HOUSING HAVING A SERIES OFPARALLEL GUIDE HOLES IN THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF, AND HAVING OPPOSITEGROUPS OF VERTICALLY-SPACED NOTCHES; A BAR NORMALLY FIXED WITH RESPECTTO SAID HOUSING, AND HAVING A SERIES OF SPACED RECTANGULAR HOLES; ASERIES OF CONNECTING LINKS OF RECTANGULAR CROSS-SECTION SLIDABLY ANDNON-ROTATIVELY RECEIVED IN SAID RECTANGULAR HOLES, RESPECTIVELY; ASERIES OF FINGERS RECEPTACLES SECURED RESPECTIVELY TO THE LOWER ENDS OFSAID LINKS, SAID RECEPTACLES EACH FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULARFRAME ; A GUIDE SECURED TO THE LOWER PORTION OF EACH OF SAID RECEPTACLESAND SLIDABLY ENGAGING SAID GUIDE HOLES, RESPECTIVELY; A SERIES OF COILTENSION SPRINGS CONNECTED RESPECTIVELY TO THE UPPER ENDS OF EACH OF SAIDLINKS; AND A BAR RECEIVED IN SAID HOUSING IN SAID NOTCHES AND ENGAGINGTHE UPPER END OF SAID SPRINGS.